Cruel Infectijon
by LadyMarguerite
Summary: Marguerite gets a little scratch. Or so she thinks.....Please review!
1. Just a scratch!

Cruel Infection  
  
Just a scratch  
  
"Keep going" the dark haired beauty murmured to herself as she   
ran through the green foliage. "Just a little further." Even though   
her lungs burned and her legs ached she kept her pace. She cast a   
quick glance behind her and spotted the beast. She could feel the   
earth tremble beneath her as he tried to catch up. Over the pounding in   
her ears she heard it's raspy breathing. Tears of relief filled her   
grey eyes when she spotted the tree house.  
"Roxton! Challenger! Get out here and shoot this bloody thing"   
She yelled at the top of her lungs. She was almost at the electrical   
fence when she lost her feet came out from under her. She screamed and   
rolled onto her back. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. Saliva   
dripped from its razor sharp teeth as it peered intently down at her.   
Terrified of what was about to happen, Marguerite closed her eyes and   
prepared herself for the pain she knew was imminent. But to the   
heiress's surprise the pain never came. A shot rang out and the raptor   
fell beside the paralyzed woman.  
Marguerite's breath came out on a ragged sigh. She was so   
stunned she didn't notice the arms gently raising her from the ground.   
When she finally looked up, she was scared of what she saw. Lord   
Roxton, the man she depended on, looked at her with a mixture of anger   
and relief.  
"Marguerite, what the hell are you doing? Why didn't you shoot the   
blasted thing?" Before Marguerite could answer, her brave warrior   
hugged her close and whispered for her ears alone, "God, I thought I'd   
lost you there for a minute. When that thing was standing over you my   
heart stopped."  
"Your heart stopped. I was the one it was standing over." She   
murmured. When Roxton squeezed her shoulder he heard her wince. He   
looked down and noticed a little scratch no bigger than his thumb   
nail. Marguerite reaches back and touched it.   
"You better let me clean that." Roxton stated  
"Don't worry about it, Roxton. After all it is only a little   
scratch. What harm can it do?" She shrugged but kept her arm around   
his waist as they made their way to the place they called home  



	2. Puffy and sick

****

I don't own any of these characters. The scratch is the only thing I own. lol

As night descended Veronica and Malone worked diligently to get dinner on the table. Marguerite sat of to the side staring blankly out into the jungle beyond. She reached up and scratched her shoulder. Roxton who sat a plate of food in front of her noticed and said,

"Do you want me to put some salve on that?" 

"No. Don't trouble yourself. It just itches is all. I don't know why." She continued to scratch. Marguerite glanced at the plate of fruit in front of her and made a puckering face. "I don't feel so well. I think I will go lay down." as she listlessly made her way to her room, she didn't see the worried looks that were being cast in her wake. 

"Something is not right." Roxton stated to his companions.

"What do think is the matter with her, Roxton? I mean after all it is only a scratch." Malone said over a mouth load of food.

"What did she scratch herself on?" Asked the jungle girl. 

"I don't know. Something hidden under the leaves. I just wish she would let me look at it." He said still staring at the room where his love inhabited. 

"Veronica, Malone, would you mind terribly going to the Zanga village for me this evening. I am running low on herbs and I want to be stocked." Challenger asked.

"Sure. Ned and I will leave as soon as he is finished stuffing his face." 

"Hey! I am a man. Besides takes a lot of fruit to fill me up ." Veronica laughed and threw a grape at him. This got a laugh out of everyone. Except Roxton.

Marguerite inspected the wound. She had decided it had made its way from a scratch to a wound. The surrounding skin was puffy and red. She lightly touched it and winced with the pain. When she had checked it earlier it wasn't nearly as bad.

"Maybe I should let John or Challenger inspect it." She mulled on that thought when suddenly she was hit by a dizzy spell. "Oh, I really do need to lay down." She changed into her nightgown and snuggled into her covers. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

By ten the next day, the other explorers had begun to worry about their friend. The breakfast dishes were done and they had yet to see the heiress. 

"She should have been up by now. She never sleeps this late." John stated as he paced the floor.

"Roxton, she wasn't feeling well last night. Maybe she needs her rest." the red haired man replied, as he studied a specimen in his microscope.

"Well, I am not waiting any longer." He stormed into her room and stood stock still. The sight that greeted him was not pleasant. Marguerite was lying in her bed soaked in sweat and shivering. Roxton hastened to her and felt her forehead. He jerked back his hand. It was as if he had come in contact with an open flame.

"Challenger! Get up here!" He gently gathered Marguerite into his arms. He whispered reassuring words into her ear.

"Roxton, what is all th-" the professor stopped short when he saw her. "My God! What happened to her?"

"Her 'scratch' as she so called it has become septic." Roxton pushed the material of the nightgown to the side and showed Challenger the source of Marguerite's dilemma. The scar was oozing puss. The surrounding skin was now a deep purple and was covering almost all of her left shoulder and lower back. 

"We need to drain it. Damn. I wish I had sent Veronica and Malone sooner. I never expected a little scratch to turn into a full blown catastrophe." Roxton placed the woman facedown on her bed. "Roxton?" no answer. "Roxton?"   
"Hmm?" he turned to his old friend.

"Go get some clean clothes and water." with Roxton's quick nod the Professor turned back to his charge. "Now you listen to me Marguerite. You are a survivor. You can over come this. Besides, you have a man who loves you tremendously. Not to mention your other friends who are like your family." He stopped talking when Roxton emerged with the things he asked for. As Challenger dabbed at the wound, Roxton asked solemnly.

"Will she live?" his forlorn eyes met Challengers own sad ones.

"I hope so." He looked at Marguerite. "I pray so" he whispered. All that was audible in the entire tree house was Marguerite laboring for every breath she took.

Please review. 


	3. Road to Recovery

****

Thanks a lot you guys for your reviews! I have many more ideas where that came from.

Roxton sat diligently at her bedside, mopping her brow. Once during the dead of night, Marguerite had opened her eyes and stared straight at him. Her mouth moved but no sound was emitted.

"Marguerite, I know you can hear me." He tenderly gathered her petite hand in his well worn one. "Fight this, my love. Of all the things you have encountered on this plateau, of all the beasts and people who have threatened out lives, you surely you wont let a little scratch take you from me." He gently laid his head on the pillow beside hers. "We will get you better. A life without you wouldn't be worth living." He soon drifted off, unaware of the professor standing right outside the door. Challenger turned away, unable to bear the sight any longer. Damn, he needed thoughts medical herbs and fast.

Roxton was awakened by the squeaking of the elevator. He made laid Marguerite's hand down and kissed her forehead. When he came into the living area, he had never been more excited to see the two faces who stared back at him.

"Roxton, Challenger just told us." stated the jungle girl. "We would have been home sooner but Malone twisted his ankle on the way back"

"Well, the most important thing is that you are here. Where are the herbs?" He asked frantically.

"Challenger is already working on a remedy that is sure to work." Malone said as he hopped to a nearby chair.

"Veronica, come help me turn Marguerite so Challenger can assess the wound better." The two quickly made there way to where their ill friend lay. As they turned her, Veronica gasped when she saw Marguerite's shoulder and back

"How could a scratch escalate to something so serious so soon?"

"My guess is because she didn't let any one take a look at it, and infection set in. She has been like this since you and Malone left. I just hope Challenger can get it out in time." Veronica looked at her friend. When she had first meet the ill woman, Veronica was sure Marguerite didn't care for anyone but herself. But over the past two years she had grown to know the inner Marguerite and now saw her as a sister.

"If anyone can cure her, Challenger can." She reassuringly squeezed Roxton's arm. They jumped as Challenger stormed into the room. HE had a vial with a gray green substance and a piece of cloth.

"We have to rub this vigorously into the wound. Someone may want to hold her down just in case." As Challenger scrubbed the wound, Marguerite started making little groaning noises in the back of her throat.

"Lord, it kills me to see her like this." John stated as he applied more pressure.

"It kills us all old boy." Challenger laid aside the vial and cloth. He looked at Roxton and Veronica. "Now all we can do is wait." And so they waited. All day.

By dusk Marguerite's fever had dissipated and she was breathing normally. She had yet to wake up. 

"Roxton, why don't you let Malone sit with her awhile? You haven't had anything to eat all day. You need to be strong when she comes to." 

"No. I want to be here when she wakes up. I **need** to be here when she wakes up." As Veronica turned she was stopped by the hunters hoarse whisper. "Veronica" He motioned with his head for her to come to the bed. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Marguerite's eyelids fluttered. She closed them tight when the sun landed on them. Roxton was unaware of the tear making its way down his cheek. He didn't even wipe it away. Marguerite's lashes finally lifted and she looked around disoriented. When her gaze found Roxton's she smiled slightly.

"Wh-what's that………on your……………cheek?" she whispered. Roxton let out a watery chuckled.

"Must have gotten dirt in my eye." But his stated didn't satisfy her as more tears followed the first.

"What happened?" She focused on the woman behind him. "Why are you both crying?" 

"You had us worried for a while there." The blond said between sniffles. Roxton brushed the dark hair that was plastered to Marguerite's hair. 

"That 'little scratch' of your turned infectious. You developed a fever. I almost lost you." the last being said for her ears alone. Veronica noticing the two needed some time alone, went and joined the others in the kitchenette.

"Oh, John. I am so sorry I put you through that."

"It's alright. As long as you don't do it ever again." weary, Marguerite was lulled back into her dream state by his soft breathing and the warm hand stroking her hair.

__

One week later

"Roxton, come with me to the lake." 

"Marguerite, I have to clean my guns." Marguerite slithered up beside him. She suggestively placed her hand on the part of his neck she knew was very sensitive. 

"But, we could do things that are more fun." Roxton took the bait.

"Why Miss Krux, whatever are you implying?" he spanned her waist with his hands.

"Oh, some lounging around. A nice swim. I'm sure we can come up with something." Marguerite sighed as his lips covered her. They clung to each other. The past events making them realize that life was to precious to spend it arguing. They parted reluctantly as they were joined by Malone, Challenger, and Veronica.

"What are you two up two?" Asked Malone.

"Oh just a little swim." They said in unison.

"This early? Marguerite, do you want to get sick again?" asked an astonished professor.

"Don't worry. I'll keep her warm." Roxton was rewarded with a smack for his little jibe. As they made their way down to the jungle beyond, they didn't hear Veronica's statement, "We need to but leashes on those two." Which was followed by shouts of laughter. 


End file.
